Ramadan has started
This year Ramadan started from April 24 – May 23. Opening hours of restaurants may differ due to the COVID-19 situation, as well as Ramadan.
Stay at home
Due to the current situation, schools and public events are canceled. All cafes, gyms, theaters, cinemas, performance centers, concert halls, wedding halls, music halls, beer halls, taverns, hookah lounges, internet cafes, game centers, amusement parks, pools, hammams, saunas, and spas are closed until further notice. Be aware of the weekend and holiday curfews.
All exhibitions and events are canceled or postponed.
Event spotlights
Taking place from April 10-21, Istanbul Film Festival is one of the most highly anticipated annual events for the city’s movie buffs. Among the highlights of this year’s program will be the screening of 15 colorized Alfred Hitchcock films to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the master director’s death. There will also be a screening of this year’s restored Turkish classic, Asiye Nasıl Kurtulur (1986) starring celebrated actress Hümeyra, the recipient of this year’s Cinema Honorary Award. For updates on the festival program, visit film.iksv.org.
Sónar Istanbul, an international festival combining music, creativity, and technology. Zorlu PSM; March 5-7
International Women’s Day concert, a concert staged by the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra led by conductor Howard Griffiths. Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall; March 6
Italian Design Days, a program featuring free panels led by Italian and local designers and academicians. Various venues, March 23-24
Fringee – The Younger One, An international performing arts festival for preteens and teenagers. Various venues; April 10-12
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Exhibitions
Alexis Gritchenko: The Constantinople Years, features the Ukrainian artist’s avant-garde paintings and memoir of Istanbul in the 1920s. Meşher; until May 10
Ayasofya by Alexis Gritchenko 
Constantinople by Alexis Gritchenko
Mamut Art Project, the work of 50 artists selected by a jury will be displayed from April 1-5 at KüçükÇiftlik Park.
A large scale retrospective of performance art pioneer Marina Abramović will take place at Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM) from January 31 – April 26, including three sections: an exhibition of video and photographic documentation of Abramović’s works, live performances of different artists who responded to the open call, as well as the Abramović Method.
bauhuas imaginista: Moving Away. Istanbul exhibition is open to visitors until April 3 at SALT Beyoğlu.
A Road Story: 180 Years of Photography at Pera Museum continues until March 1, paying tribute to the world’s first photography trip in 1839. A group of artists went on the same rote and record the trip with contemporary technology.
Lütfi Özkök: Portraits at Istanbul Modern continues until May 3, featuring Özkök’s photographs of 80 figures in art and literature.
Andy Warhol and pop art exhibition. Until March 29,2020; Uniq Expo.
For more events, check out some of Istanbul’s established arts and cultural venues:
- Exhibitions: Istanbul Modern, Pera Museum, SALT, Akbank Sanat, Yapı Kredi Cultural and Art Center, Arter
- Film screenings: Thursday Cinema at SALT Beyoğlu, Pera Film, Kundura Cinema
- Concerts and live performances: Babylon, Salon İKSV, Zorlu PSM
Food and drinks
The hottest new restaurant: TURK Fatih Tutak
Istanbul loves homecoming stories, and the professional tale of Fatih Tutak seems to be falling under this category. After three successful years at The Dining Room at The House of Sathorn in Bangkok, Tutak returns to his hometown to bring to life—as the name of the restaurant bluntly states—his locally-rooted agenda. The opening night showcased a collaboration between Tutak and Andoni Luis Aduriz of two Michelin-starred Mugaritz. We’re waiting impatiently for whatever comes next. Now Bomonti, Hacıahmet Silahşör Caddesi, Yeniyol Sokak. No.2, Şişli; 0212 709 56 79; www.turkft.com
- Click to see the new restaurant and bar openings
